Tag fastening device



Sept. 27, 1938. c. A. Hm 4 2,131,372

TAG FASTENING DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1937 ,Z-iwe 71,707 4 C aI'Z a .1 70 (Z Patented Sept.'2 7, 1938 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAG FASTENING DEVICE Carl A. Flood, Framingham,iMass., assignor to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass., a corporation of -Massachusetts Application December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,534

7 Claims. (01. 40-22) This invention relates to devices of the type of the retainer or at any other point spaced comprising a tag, a string loop having one end from the first point lengthwise of the retainer. connected to the tag and an elongate retainer The two sides of the loop are fastened together joined to the other end of the loop for attachat the tag end of the loop in any one of various ing the loop to fabric or the like by inserting the ways. For example, the loop may pass freely '5 retainer lengthwisethrough the fabric from one through an opening in the tag with the two side and then pulling back on the loop until the sides of the loop clipped together adjacent the retainer seats crosswise against the other side of tag. However, as hereinafter described, the two the fabric, the loop extending from the elongate sides are preferably fastened together through 10 retainer intermediate its ends so that it can not the medium of the tag itself as by cementing 10 pull back through the opening in the fabric when the free ends of the string under a fold or folds seated crosswise against the fabric. of the tag, instead of having the free ends of the Problems inherent in such devices are to avoid string clamped together by the retainer. The making a substantial opening in the fabric when preferred method of attachment of the string 9.5 inserting the retainer and to keep the retainer loop to the retainer is to make the retainer tufrom pulling back through the opening in the bular throughout a portion of its length, with fabric after insertion. These problems have been the string passing into one end and out the solved by providing the retainer with a tubular other end of the tubular part, the retainer bepart and having opposite sides of the string loop ing clamped around the string tight enough to emerge from opposite ends of the tubular part. prevent the string from slipping relatively to 20 Then the retainer need be only large enough in the retainer. And the side of the loop extendcross-section to encompass one string (instead of ing from the mid-point of the retainer or a two where both ends of the string enter the tupoint near the mid-point is made shorter than bular part from the same end) so that it makes the other side of the loop by an amount at least only a very small openingin the fabric when substantially as great as the distance between 5 inserted therethrough, and after insertion it the two points where the string joins the retainer, automatically tends to resume a position crossthereby avoiding the tendency to widen the wise of the loop so that when the loop is pulled opening in the fabric when the tag is pulled. backward the retainer automatically seats against The shorter side of the loop may join the re- 20 the fabric instead of being pulled back through tainer at any point along the retainer except the opening. at the ends ofthe retainer and the longer side of In the case of devices in which opposite sides the loop may join the retainer at any point along of the string loop join'the retainer at spaced the length of the retainer (including the end) points I have discovered a further difliculty, which is spaced from the point where the shorter namely, a tendency for the string loop to widen side joins the retainer. Preferably one end of 35 the opening in the fabric after the device is atthe retainer is pointed and the longer side of tached owing to the tendency of the two sides the loop joins the retainer at or near its opposite of the loop to pull apart in response to a pull on end. the tag or other pull on that portion of the For the purpose of illustration typical con- 40 loop on the side of the fabric opposite the recrete embodiments of the invention are shown in 40 tainer. the accompanying drawing in which:

Objects of the present invention are to pro- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partially vide a device of the character referred to which f rmed retainer; avoids all of the aforesaid difficulties, which pro- Fig. 2 is a similar View of a completely formed duces only a very Small Opening i t e ab c retainer clamped around a string loop; 45 when inserted, w c d not become hed Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the retainer from the fabric accidentally, which does not tend d loop; to widen the opening in the fabric after it is at- Fig 4 is t erse se ti through th tached, and which is generally superior to prior tainer d loop t k on th li 4 4 of Fig 5.0- devices of the Character referred Fig. 5 illustrates the application of the finished According to this invention one side of the device t piece of fabric; loop extends from the retainer at a point inter- Fig. 6 shows the device after it is applied to the mediate the ends of the retainer, preferably about fabric; midway between the ends, and the opposite side Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views of modifications;

5 3 of the loop extends from the retainer at one end and Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 comprises a sheet metal retainer I having its forward end pointed as indicated at 2. The fiat blank used in forming the retainer is preferably uniform in width throughout its entire length except at the pointed end 2. The forward end of the blank is bent transversely into approximately half a cylinder and the rearward end of the blank is bent transversely into approximately a complete cylinder 3. The string loop passes through the cylindrical portion of the retainer and is clamped firmly therein. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the free ends 5 and 6 of the string loop enter the tag through an opening 1 and are cemented between the tag body 8 and the folded extension 9. As shown in Fig. 6 the side ll of the loop which enters the retainer at the end is longer than the side 12 which joins the retainer inter-.

mediate the ends of the retainer by an amount slightly greater than the distance between the points where the two sides join the retainer, that is, the length of the tubular portion of the retainer.

To apply the device to a piece of fabric l3 the retainer is inserted through the fabric with the pointed end foremost to the position shown in Fig. 5 after which the retainer is pulled all the way through by grasping the pointed end of the retainer. After the retainer has been passed all the way through the fabric the loop is pulled back until the retainer seats against the fabric in the position shown in Fig. 6. In this position the point where the shorter side l2 joins the retainer lies immediately over the opening in the fabric, the longer side of the loop extending through the opening and thence along the opposite side of the fabric to the point where it joins the retainer. Thus a pull on the tag does not tend to separate the sides of the loop from each other as it would if the two sides of the loop were of equal length.

The modification shown in Fig. '7 is like that shown in Figs. 1 to 6 except in that the longer side 22 of the loop joins the retainer 23 at a point intermediate the middle and end of the retainer, in which case the longer side 22 of the loop need not exceed the shorter side so much in length.

The modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 differs from the other embodiments in two respects. Tlie string is passed through an opening 34 in the tag and the two sides of the loop are fastened together by a metal clip 35, in which case the free ends of the loop may be disposed within the retainer 33 either in'end-to-end relationship or in overlapping relationship; and the two sides 3| and 32 of the loop join the retainer approximately equidistantly from the center of the retainer.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the invention is characterized principally by joining the two sides of the loop to the retainer at points spaced from each other lengthwise of the retainer and by making one side of the loop longer than the other so that a pull on the tag does not spread the opening in the fabric. It is also important to fasten the two sides of the loop together at the tag end of the loop to maintain the inequality in the lengths of the two sides of the loop.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device comprising a tag, an elongate retainer and a string loop fast to the retainer and connecting the tag and retainer, one side of the loop extending from the retainer at a point intermediate the ends of the retainer and the opposite side of the loop extending from the retainer at a point spaced from the first point lengthwise of the retainer, said sides of the loop being fastened together at the tag end of the loop and said second side being longer than said first side by an amount at least substantially as great as the distance between said points, whereby when the retainer is .inserted through an opening in the fabric and then pulled back against the fabric the longer side may extend along the retainer and thence through the fabric alongside the shorter side without substantial tendency to spread said opening.

2. A device comprising a tag, an elongate re- "tainer and a string loop fast to the retainer and connecting the tag and retainer, one side of the loop extending from the retainer at a point ap proximately midway between the ends of the retainer and the opposite side of the loop extending from the retainer at a point spaced from the first point lengthwise of the retainer, said sides of the loop being fastened together at the tag end of the loop and said second side being longer thansaid first side by an amount at least substantially as great as the distance between said points, whereby when the retainer is inserted through an opening in the fabric and then pulled back against the fabric the longer side may extend along the retainer and thence through the fabric alongside the shorter side without substantial tendency to spread said opening.

3. A device comprising a tag, an elongate retainer and a string loop fast to the retainer and connecting the tag and retainer, the retainer having a tubular part at least one end of which is intermediate the ends of the retainer, one side of the loop extending from said end of the tubular. part and the opposite side of the loop extending from the other end of the tubular part, said sides of the. loop being fastened together at the tag end of the loop and said second side being longer than said first side by an amount at least substantially as great as the length of said tubular part, whereby when the retainer is inserted through an opening in the fabric and then pulled back against the fabric the longer side may extend along the retainer and thence through the fabric alongside the shorter side without substantial tendency to spread said opening.

4. A device comprising a tag, an elongate retainer and a string loop fast to the retainer and connecting the tag and retainer, the retainer having a tubular part one end of which is approximately midway between the ends of the retainer, one side of the loop extending from said end of the tubular part and the opposite side of the loop extending from the other end of the tubular part, said sides of the loop being fastened together at the tag end of the loop and said second side being longer than said first side by an amount at least substantially as great as the length of said tubular part, whereby when the retainer is inserted through an opening in the fabric and then pulled pack against the fabric the longer side may extend along the retainer and thence through the fabric alongside the shorter side without substantial tendency to spread said opening.

5. A device comprising a tag, an elongate retainer and a string loop fast to the retainer and connecting the tag and retainer, one side of the loop extending from the retainer at a. point apiii proximately midway between the ends of the retainer and the opposite side of the loop extending from the retainer at one end of the retainer, said sides of the loop being fastened together at the tag end of the loop and said second side being longer than said first side by an amount at least substantially as great as the distance between said points, whereby when the retainer is inserted through an opening in the fabric and then pulled back against the fabric the longer side may extend along the retainer and thence through the fabric alongside the shorter side without substantial tendency to spread said opening.

6. A device comprising a tag, an elongate retainer and a string loop fast to the retainer and connecting the tag and retainer, the retainer having a tubular part one end of which is approximately midway between the ends of'the retainer and the other end of which is at one end of the retainer, one side of the loop extending from said first end of the tubular part and the opposite side of the loop extending from said second end of the tubular part, said sides of the loop being fastened together at the tag end of the loop and said second side being longer than said first side by an amount at least substantially as great as the length of said tubular part, whereby when the retainer is inserted through an opening in the fabric and then pulled back against the fabric the longer side may extend along the retainer and thence through the fabric alongside the shorter side without substantial tendency to spread said opening.

7. A device comprising a tag, an elongate retainer and a string loop fast to the retainer and connecting the tag and retainer, the retainer having a tubular part at least one end of which is intermediate the ends of the retainer, one side of the loop extending from the retainer at the forward end of the tubular part and the opposite side of the loop extending from the retainer at the rearward end of the tubular part, said sides of the loop being fastened together at the tag end of the loop and said second side being longer than said first side by an amount at least substantially as great as the length of said tubular part, whereby when the retainer is inserted through an opening in the fabric and then pulled back against the fabric the longer side may extend along the retainer and thence through the fabric alongside the shorter side without substantial tendency to spread said opening.

CARL A. FLOOD. 

